After Ansu’s lightning-fast promotion within the cult, Samantha did not forget to assign him his duties.
She summoned Ansu and asked in a low voice, "I heard from Celia... that you are friends with the Holy Maiden of the Church?"
Even though she had almost been killed by that sting operation, Samantha still seemed obsessed with the matter of the Chosen One.
"Yes, Cult Leader Samantha." Ansu nodded.
Samantha immediately commanded, "In that case, you must try your best to maintain a good relationship with that Holy Maiden. If she truly finds the Chosen One, I need you to report it to me immediately."
"Uh... about that..." Ansu instinctively glanced at Celia.
Although Celia was wearing a mask, he could sense her expression was one of complete speechlessness through her eyes.
If he followed Samantha’s request, he would have a perfectly legitimate reason to continue contacting Freya.
"Teacher... isn't this a bit risky?" Celia said dissatisfactorily. "If he’s loitering in front of the Church every day, aren't you afraid he’ll be exposed? There are many masters within the Church."
"Either I transfer him to my side, or we utilize his relationship with the Holy Maiden to continue investigating the Chosen One." Samantha’s voice suddenly turned cold. "The cult has no room for useless people, Celia. This is not a place for you to play house!"
Celia frowned slightly.
She didn't want to choose either option, but the latter was at least slightly better because it meant Samantha wouldn't be taking Ansu away.
"I really don't understand your obsession with the Chosen One, Teacher." Celia sighed. "It’s just a legend that the Church has held for a thousand years."
"No!" Samantha stated firmly. "The Chosen One is in Benalu City, and most likely right inside the Benalu Royal Academy! We must kill him to prevent the minions of those false gods from completely overturning our great cause!"
She looked at Ansu again, her gaze full of expectation. "Hermit, you must remember that this is a task you must complete! You may exercise the authority you hold when necessary."
Celia’s gaze became even more puzzled. Seeing Samantha’s attitude, Ansu could only nod repeatedly and agree.
Samantha didn't explain the source of this intelligence this time, but Ansu knew the reason. In the simulation, she had admitted it herself; it was a revelation obtained through divination magic. This three-hundred-year-old mage actually had some skill...
The secret gathering finally came to an end, and a gloomy Celia led Ansu away.
"You must be happy now. You can chat with that little Holy Maiden every day!"
Ansu caught a faint scent of jealousy in the air, but he didn't dare look up at Celia.
He could only say gloomily, "There’s nothing I can do... This is Cult Leader Samantha’s order after all. I actually don't want to get too involved with the Church people either..."
"Hmph! If I had known, I wouldn't have brought you."
As they walked, Celia suddenly stopped and looked hesitantly toward her teacher, who was talking with other elders.
"Wait, I forgot to report something."
"What is it?" Ansu looked at her.
"Remember those things I looked up in your library?" Celia said slowly.
"I remember." Ansu nodded. "Was it about that... legendary demon army's treasure?"
"Exactly. I’ve already found some clues..."
Just as Celia was about to turn back, to her surprise, Ansu suddenly grabbed her.
"My Lady Witch, it’s better not to tell your teacher about this unverified information."
Beneath the silver mask, Ansu’s eyes held a complex light that Celia couldn't read.
"You..." Celia looked down at Ansu’s hand tightly gripping her wrist.
There was a hint of dominance and an unquestionable tone in his action.
In the past, she was always the one making demands of Ansu, but somehow... had their roles been reversed?
"Trust me, Celia." Ansu’s persistence carried a hint of pleading. "There is no benefit in telling her about the demon army's treasure right now. Let’s go back first."
Celia stared at Ansu’s strange behavior and said faintly, "You’re getting bolder and bolder, actually daring to stop me... Have I been too nice to you?"
The atmosphere remained at a standstill for a moment.
Seeing his absolute persistence, Celia finally softened her attitude a little.
"Fine..."
"I’ll trust you this once. Let’s head back first."
Although she didn't know what Ansu meant, she knew he was always cautious. There was likely a reason for him to be so insistent.
Ansu breathed a sigh of relief internally.
He hadn't forgotten the promise he made in the last simulation; he wanted to help her once and thereby change Celia’s fate.
The quest for the demon army's treasure would be the biggest turning point in Celia’s life. She, who cared most about betrayal, would encounter the most painful betrayal in the plot...
Ansu did not want her to repeat those mistakes.
Before leaving the gathering site, he instinctively glanced at Samantha in the distance, silently recalling the original plot.
All of Celia’s misfortunes were because of this teacher, Samantha, who had raised her since childhood and was like a mother to her in her empty childhood.
But in reality, there was never any warmth. The only reason Samantha was so good to Celia, putting so much effort into nurturing her and teaching her magic, was to find a vessel for herself.
Samantha was too old. She had lived for too many years and could sense the limit of her lifespan.
Realizing her death was approaching, Samantha urgently and frantically studied various magic texts, trying every possible way to use magic to extend her life. Finally, she found a type of forbidden black magic that resembled body-snatching from somewhere.
This black magic required a sacrificial ritual. Under the witness of an ancient demon, a delicious soul had to be offered on the other side of the scale. Once successful, she could occupy that young and fresh physical shell.
She was almost unable to wait, partly due to her rapidly aging state and partly because...
Celia’s talent was too high. Her growth rate had far exceeded Samantha’s expectations, becoming increasingly uncontrollable.
Such a powerful Celia made Samantha feel troubled, even unsure of how to achieve her goal...
And it was at this moment that the information about the demon army's treasure brought back by Celia became her opportunity.
Through the investigations of the cult members, Samantha learned that beneath those ancient ruins, there were countless traps, demon army living corpses, and even powerful monsters from the peak of the magic era standing guard. Even the Council of Elders would suffer heavy losses if they were dispatched.
Therefore, Samantha believed she could use this method to exhaust Celia’s strength and then take advantage of her vulnerability.
In the subsequent operation, everything indeed went according to Samantha’s calculations. On the way to the end, the team suffered heavy casualties, and Celia was seriously injured while protecting Samantha.
Samantha felt the time had come.
She designed a trap to confine Celia in the most dangerous depths of the underground, planning to usurp control of her body when she was at her weakest.
But what she didn't expect was that Celia’s strength still far exceeded her predictions. The cult besieged her for nearly a month, yet Celia still had the strength to fight...
Ansu could hardly imagine how she survived. Celia fought the endless monsters in the depths of the earth. When she was hungry, she killed them for their meat; when she was thirsty, she consumed their blood. Her rage and that never-give-up desire for survival turned her into a monster even more terrifying than the monsters themselves...
When the maddened Celia fought her way out from the depths of the earth, Samantha completely panicked.
She couldn't care about anything else and directly performed the sacrificial ritual to control Celia, while the cult elders repeatedly tortured her soul.
One day, two days, ten days...
An ritual that lasted ten days in the outside world felt like several years in the spiritual realm. Years of agonizing torture caused Celia to almost lose her sanity, nearly twisting her into the literal World Ending Witch.
But it was only 'almost,' because Celia still didn't give up.
Her intense hatred and obsession drew the gaze of an evil god.
It turned out that hidden deep underground was a shocking secret from the Demon Calamity War of that year; this was the place where the fallen deity, Ersos, had fallen and slept.
Celia was chosen by Ersos, inheriting the fallen god’s unwilling will while also mastering powerful and terrifying forbidden magic powers...
What happened afterward was simple. The transformed Celia fought her way out of the desperate situation, killed Samantha in revenge, and slaughtered every cult member who participated in the operation.
She immediately returned to the cult stronghold, reorganized the Echoes of Truth according to her own philosophy, set a new 'great goal,' and recruited like-minded people everywhere.
No one knew what kind of revelation the evil god had given her that day, but from then on, Celia’s mindset changed completely. She was no longer indifferent to power and finally became the World Ending Witch who made the world tremble in the story.
Some said it was the teacher’s betrayal and the endless torture that drove her to madness and despair.
Some said it was the powerful, filthy magic that twisted her will.
But there was another view: at that moment, Celia learned the underlying reason for the Demon Calamity War and caught a glimpse of the ultimate truth that made this world so filthy, so she wanted to make a change in her own way.
Regardless, from then on, Celia indeed embarked on a path of world-ending that even her allies in the demon army found extreme.
By the time they returned to Benalu City from the seaside winery, it was already late into the night.
Along the way, the two had different thoughts and almost no conversation.
When Celia brought Ansu back to her room, she gave a cold laugh and immediately set up a magic barrier that could not be peered into.
Those deep purple eyes, full of suspicion, kept scrutinizing Ansu as he stood there.
"Tell me, what was that all about just now?"
Rate on N.U.
